“Hurry is not of the Devil; it is the Devil.” (Carl Jung)
“The trouble is, you think you have time.” (Jack Kornfield)
I doubt Carl Jung believed in an actual Devil, but he understood the destructive power of hurry. I think of hurry as speed-without-decisive-purpose, which will harm rather than help you.
Jack Kornfield’s comment is a powerful mantra for leaders. We only have so much time. We need to be efficient where we can, while being decisive and purposeful.
Challenge your project team members to squeeze out chronological days between milestones. Get a series of related tasks done in 3 days instead of 5. Finish a block of work in 2 sessions of 2 hours, instead of meeting an hour weekly for 6 weeks. In many ways, work seeks to expand to fill the time we allocate for it.
Many projects seem to have a first 90%, and then a second 90% to complete them. Can you get the first part done in a few hours, or in two days? Concentrated effort has ROI. Constraint creates focus and creativity.
There are many cases where an 80% solution is adequate. (Yes, I want you to pursue excellence and have high standards.) That last 20% might not be worth the 80% additional effort. These are leadership judgment calls.
Above all, know what you will do with time saved! Additional small projects. Study. Improve your network. Execute a process improvement. Time carved out should not be frittered away on less valuable things.
Challenge yourself, challenge your team, raise the bar!
